The Great Spoo Revolt
by Hilary Weston
Summary: The title probably says it all, but Ivanova's day is about to get worse.


This is a short piece, which stemmed from a year 6 literary assignment at the school where I work. The children were challenged to write a sci-fi version of the Pied Piper. It got me thinking, and this is the result.  
  
   
  
Enjoy. As usual, the characters are not mine; most of them belong to jms.  
  
   
  
All Hail to the Great Maker.  
  
   
  
   
  
The Great Spoo Revolt  
  
by  
  
Hilary Weston  
  
   
  
Commander Ivanova prowled CnC in one of her usual bad moods. Not only were the incoming ships making demands more unreasonable than usual; the maintenance team was short on personnel so that breakdowns and malfunctions were beginning to occur; Marcus had just been found in the middle of a riot in downbelow; and Londo and G'Kar were both complaining very loudly that the spoo were revolting.  
  
"Gentlemen," Ivanova turned on her two unwelcome visitors, "I have known that fact for years. Congratulations on finally seeing sense."  
  
For a moment, the alien pair were rendered speechless, which Ivanova chalked up as the first miracle of the day and returned to the other fourteen annoying things. The miracle did not last.  
  
"Commander," Londo began, "When I said the spoo were revolting, I did not mean that they tasted bad; although the way the Narn prepare spoo is indigestible…"  
  
"Only the Centari would call fresh spoo indigestible." G'Kar interrupted, "Your taste buds are so clogged up with the unnecessary flavours of your rich food that you are unable to appreciate the delicate…"  
  
"Phar! Delicate! You don't know the meaning of the word."  
  
"Gentlemen!" Ivanova was on the verge of shooting them both just to shut them up, "The spoo?"  
  
Londo threw one last look at G'Kar, "Well, the spoo herds have broken out of their pens and are spreading."  
  
Ivanova stared at Londo, to see if he was joking, then began to laugh.  
  
"Commander! This is serious!"  
  
"I'm sorry," Ivanova suppressed her giggles, "But from what I know of spoo, they only move about three feet in a year. How far can they spread?"  
  
Londo began to study his coat buttons in a manner that was reminiscent of Vir. G'Kar too was avoiding eye contact. This was not good.  
  
"Ambassador?" Ivanova warned, "How far?"  
  
Londo adopted his best diplomatic stance before answering.  
  
"Half way across the station."  
  
"What! How the hell did that happen? Did you forget to feed them for the last decade?"  
  
"According to our scientists, this ah, 'phenomenon' is the result of there being a lack of fresh spoo."  
  
Ivanova raised an eyebrow in a question.  
  
"It is a mating ritual." G'Kar explained. "Apparently, once every century or so, if the spoo herds become too interbred, they embark on a great migration to expand the gene pool. The distances that they can cover in this time are large, but.."  
  
"But?" This was definitely not good.  
  
"But in order to do this, they need great amounts of food." G'Kar waited for this to sink in.  
  
"Corwin. Get me hydroponics." Ivanova ordered. "How many spoo are we talking about here? Is it just the Centari herds?"  
  
"No." G'Kar answered, "The Narn herds are also migrating. But the Centari were first."  
  
This of course began another argument, but Ivanova did not notice it. Hydroponics had reported that hundreds of spoo were gradually devouring the stations crop of fresh food. The gardeners were gathering them as fast as they could, but more were appearing every second. Ivanova deployed extra personnel to the gardens to help and then ordered Londo and G'Kar to do the same.  
  
"Why do these things always happen on my watch?" she asked no one in particular. Not expecting an answer, Ivanova was startled to hear Lieutenant Corwin announce,  
  
"Unidentified vessel exiting jumpgate."  
  
Ivanova brought the ship up at her station. It was strange, very long and thin, it did not look like any vessel from races she knew. Scanning the information that the sensors were picking up, she hailed the stranger.  
  
"This is Babylon 5 to unknown vessel. Please identify yourself and await docking instructions."  
  
"Vessel is continuing towards station."  
  
"Is there any answer?"  
  
"None."  
  
"Damn. Keep trying, and launch starfuries. If that thing looks like it's going to crash into us, shoot it down."  
  
"Vessel has initiated docking procedures."  
  
"Shut it down."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Keep trying. Get me security."  
  
* * *  
  
Zack stood just in front of his security team and waited for the pilot to walk out of the strange ship that had just docked. These unknown encounters always terrified the life out of him, as there was every chance that what was going to come out of those doors could suck the life out of him in a second. But he had learned from Garibaldi that the chief of security never showed fear, and never hid behind his men.  
  
The door opened. A figure emerged. It was hard to tell what race it belonged to as it was dressed in a flowing cloak and hood. The cloak was strange enough though. It appeared to be made entirely of rags, randomly sewn together with edges left free, giving the impression that a great bird was swooping down on its prey.  
  
Stopping a foot away from Zack, the figure threw back its hood to reveal a human looking man of about thirty. His unkempt blond hair fell into his sparkling eyes, as he studied the security chief. Suddenly his face broke into a wide grin and he clapped Zack on the shoulder.  
  
"Have no fear my friend. I am not here to harm you; I carry no weapon." And to prove this, he held open the folds of his cloak.  
  
"I have been ordered to escort you to the commander for questioning." Zack said. "If you will follow me."  
  
The man nodded and fell into step beside Zack, seeming not to notice the armed officers that formed up around him.  
  
"Why would the fair commander wish to question me?" The stranger asked. "I only ever come where I am needed, if not asked for. It would be better to let me carry out my work first. Afterwards, we can talk."  
  
"And what is your work?" Zack enquired.  
  
With that, the stranger swept into a low bow. "I am a charmer of birds and beasts; beguiler of trees and flowers; I can command all things fair and foul that nature creates."  
  
"Yea, whatever." Zack was not convinced.  
  
* * *  
  
"So who sent you?" Ivanova asked.  
  
She had commandeered the captain's office, and along with Londo and G'Kar, were trying to ascertain exactly who the stranger was.  
  
"No one sent me." He replied. "I heard your need and came."  
  
Ivanova was definitely not in the mood for word games.  
  
"Look who were you in contact with? The Narns or Centauri? Only with insider information could you have got here so quickly."  
  
"Commander, I protest…"  
  
"How dare you suggest that the Centauri government would engineer this disaster…"  
  
Both ambassadors launched into simultaneous arguments. Ivanova gave up and let her head drop into her hands, the complaints flying above her. The volume began to rise and she could imagine the two aliens gesticulating at each other, only millimetres from a punch up.  
  
Then she became aware of a humming, low and very quiet. It seemed to crescendo; or had the arguments from the ambassadors lessened slightly? Ivanova looked up, and saw Londo and G'Kar talking normally, then fall silent. She turned to the stranger who had not moved from his position on one of the office sofas. He held in his hands a strange instrument. It consisted of what looked like a number of up-turned bells. He was running his fingers around the rims of these bells creating the resonating hum that had subdued the ambassadors.  
  
"How?" Ivanova asked.  
  
"This is my gift." The stranger said. "If I have now proved my skill to you, then please let me help, before you have no food left."  
  
* * *  
  
Ivanova and Zack watched in wonder as the stranger waded into the midst of the heaving mass of spoo. Seemingly unperturbed by the numberless grey grubs swarming around his ankles, he held aloft his instrument and began to play.  
  
The hum was very low, more felt than heard, but immediately, there was a shift in the spoo. Together, they turned and shuffled their way out of the crops; as one grey blob, they poured through the door and into the corridor beyond. The stranger moved with them, adjusting the note of the hum imperceptibly when he wanted the spoo to change direction. They moved through the station, the crowds parting as they passed, staring at the bizarre sight of thousands of spoo surrounding the stranger like the water flowing in a stream.  
  
Before long, the herds had been returned to their pens. The stranger put away his instrument and turned to Ivanova.  
  
"And now we must discuss my payment."  
  
Ivanova went immediately on the defensive.  
  
"How do I know you didn't engineer this whole spoo incident for your own profit?" she asked.  
  
"Because for my payment I request that my ship be re-supplied, and that I may take with me a bag of your coffee."  
  
Ivanova blinked. This was definitely not what she had expected. She opened her mouth to speak, but her brain could not supply the words. The stranger answered her unformed question.  
  
"Do we really need money to live?" He said. "I certainly do not. All that I need I trade my services for, or barter. You will probably ask me 'why don't I charge for the use of my gift?' I could, but what if people refused to pay? Would I then charm them to give me what I wanted? I most certainly could, as you have seen. Then though, I would become feared and possibly hunted. No; my gift carries a great responsibility which I fully understand. It is better for me this way, and it is better for you."  
  
"How?" Ivanova asked.  
  
"The damage caused by the spoo will run into thousands of credits. I do not wish to burden you further and I suspect it will be some time before you will receive any compensation from either the Centari or the Narns."  
  
Ivanova groaned. "I had forgotten about them." Visions of Londo and G'Kar arguing over exactly whose spoo did the most damage came into her head. "I don't suppose your charm will work on them for much longer?" The stranger shook his head and smiled. "Oh well," Ivanova sighed, "I can always lock them in the same room together until they reach an agreement."  
  
The stranger laughed, then produced a data crystal out of the air.  
  
"If the day's toil has eroded your spirit, then play this. The charm will banish all irritations."  
  
With that, the stranger swept into a low bow; turned, and with a swirl of his cloak, was gone.  
  
Ivanova thoughtfully studied the crystal in her hand.  
  
"Banish all irritations," she said to herself, "I wonder if it will work on Marcus?"  
  
  
  
End.  
  
   
  
   
  
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"True Magic is done with the mind and the spirit. Chants and potions are just a way to focus the magic, but they will not work without the magic of your spirit. Every wizard that you may encounter has a vast imagination, and a mind that can fly free. You still have that great gift. When you go home, you can use your imagination to see this world and us. Your mind is free from all bounds. You can travel anywhere, meet anyone and do anything, all within your mind. That is the first gateway to magic." - Nala, Wizard of T'Tenneb.  
  
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Any and all comments please to hilaryweston@hotmail.com  
  
I am still writing my other story. The next part will be coming soon.  
  
   
  
Ranger Hilary.  
  
http://www.geocities.com/elenopa/ 


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